


The Demise of Personality

by ChaosController



Category: Thomas Sanders, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Atlas is back, Fighting, I swear, Prequel to My Fear of Losing You, fading, fading is like dying, he's better, i apologise to all the people who didn't want Atlas to come back, its really uncomfortable to watch, like seeing someone have a seizure for the first time, sort of, you can think of it as one since this is how Atlas started out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-16 23:36:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11263362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaosController/pseuds/ChaosController
Summary: What happens when your personality changes? What happens to the old facets of your old personality?





	The Demise of Personality

**Author's Note:**

> I got a comment saying how mush they liked Atlas, so I decided to give him a little bit of backstory. Thank you to the person who decided to comment, you know who you are. Also for plot convenience, Aloysius will be named Atlas, but his name (Aloysius) will still stand as his proper name <3

Roman grimaced as his host shook with fear. Another nightmare, this time it had been worse than usual. He could almost imagine the monster from the dream, curled in the dark corner, watching, waiting. Roman shook his head, he couldn’t think of that right now. Thomas needed him to be strong, show him the light. Atlas had disappeared to calm Thomas down while Logan was stationed by with a book, ready to read to their scared host to calm him more into sleep.  
Roman almost jumped when Atlas appeared, yawning and stretching as sleep wound around his mind like a snake. 

“How is he?”, Roman asked, dropping his plastic sword to his side and biting his lip.

“He’s fine. Logan’s taking care of him now. He should be better in a bit”, Atlas said, smiling lightly as he began to pull off his shirt and pull on his pyjamas. 

“How come you always wear your clothes to bed?”, Roman asked, scratching his head as he threw his shield on the floor of their room, dropping the sword and taking off the belt that held his scabbard.  
“Just in case Thomas has a nightmare. I can’t change as quick as you and Logan, I need to be ready”, Atlas said, putting on his most serious face. 

“Wow, you’re so cool”, Roman said, fawning slightly over the other facet. Atlas was only a few minutes older than Logan, having been the first thing Thomas experienced from birth. Logan was the next to become part of Thomas, then Roman came along. The three of them, it was all that they needed, all that Thomas needed. They were tight nit, close. It was fun and everyday was an adventure. 

“I’m not that cool”, Atlas said with a little chuckle, gathering his clothing and tossing it back into the washing basket behind him, a perfect throw. 

“That was so cool”, Roman gushed, voice getting higher in pitch as he admired Atlas abilities. 

“I have to admit, Atlas. Your abilities are rather impressive”, a voice said and Atlas blushed lightly in embarrassment. 

“You’re too kind, Logan”, Atlas said, smiling at the logical facet sheepishly. 

“And you’re too modest”, Logan replied smirking at Thomas’ fear.

“And you’re both too good at speaking! What does modest mean?”, Roman said, folding his arms over his chest grumpily. 

“Modest means…Logan, do you want to explain it?”, Atlas asked, his blush dying down a bit. 

“Modesty is like humility, being good at something but not acknowledging it in favour of acknowledging someone else’s abilities and talents”, Logan said after thinking about it for a while. He smiled at Atlas and Roman with genuine happiness. 

“I still don’t get it, but you’re so smart. You talk like a dictionary and it’s amazing. How can you keep all that information in your head?”, Roman asked, amazed by Logan’s memory and understanding. Logan blushed lightly and smiled widely at the praise from the younger facet.

“He’s just that good”, Atlas said, smiling at Roman, who turned and grinned at him. Logan chuckled and turned to his bed. The other two walked over to their separate beds, smiling as the lighting in the room dimmed and they let sleep overtake their senses.

 

“Over here, Logan!”, Roman called as he jumped out from behind his bed, startling Logan so he stumbled back. They had grown over the years. Thomas would be nine next year and the small group of facets had been looking forward to the New Year as Christmas drew to a close. 

“Come on, Atlas. Come play with us”, Roman begged as Atlas continued to read. The older facet bit his lip and tried to concentrate on the words as Roman tugged at his shirt. He finally gave up.

“Roman! Stop that! I’m trying to read here!”, Atlas yelled and Roman let go, eyes wide as Logan rushed over a concerned look on his face.

“Atlas”, Logan said softly as he grabbed Roman’s shoulders and let the younger sniff and whimper into his shirt.

“I’m reading. Can’t you two leave me alone for one second?”, Atlas said and Logan frowned. It wasn’t like Atlas to have such outbursts, but it could be chalked up to nerves from the New Year. Logan sighed lightly and pulled Roman away from Atlas’ bed. The other glared at his book as he began to read and Logan pulled Roman into a hug.

“Does he hate me?”, Roman asked and Logan felt his heart break a little for the younger facet.

“No, no he doesn’t. He’s just worried about growing up”, Logan said smiling at Roman with all the kindness and love he could muster.

“I…okay, will you play with me?”, Roman asked, blushing a little as he shifted his feet and looked at the ground.

“What do you want to play?”, Logan asked.

“Princesses and knights! You can be the princess and I’ll come save you from the evil dragon witch”, Roman said, excited at the prospect of having a playmate. 

“Okay, but this time be quieter or you’ll wake the sleeping dragon witch that has captured me”, Logan said as he crawled up onto his bed and Roman tiptoed across to gather his sword and shield. They played while Atlas grew frustrated with the passage he was reading, finally giving up on it and snuggling into his sheets. 

 

“Why are you being so mean! Logan was just trying to help!”, Roman yelled as Atlas growled at him.

“I don’t need his help”, Atlas spat, eyes piercing through Roman, but Roman refused to back down. Atlas may be older, but that didn’t mean he was always right. 

“You were making Thomas scared for no reason! You caused him to have a panic attack and you hit Logan when he tried to help Thomas!”, Roman accused, glaring at Atlas. 

“Thomas needs to be afraid! If he isn’t he will never be safe! If he isn’t scared all the time he could die! He needs to be scared so he will be safe!”, Atlas yelled back at Roman, eye twitching in anger.

“You’re wrong! Thomas can do whatever he wants!”. Roman cried out as Atlas leapt at him, caught in the nick of time from trying to strangle the younger facet.

“That’s enough you two”, Logan said, fingering the bright red mark on the side of his face, most definitely going to bruise. He had been watching the fight from the sidelines, the fear of getting hit again keeping him from interfering. But he couldn’t just stand by as Atlas beat Roman senseless. 

“Stay out of this Logan”, Atlas spat, the growl rising in his throat dying just as quickly as Logan gave him an ice-cold glare.

“You two are acting like you’re five. We’re on the brink of puberty and all you two can think about is the next time you can get at each other’s throats”, Logan said, turning his glare on Roman, who looked at the ground to avoid the gaze. “You’re both right and wrong at the same time. Thomas needs to be afraid of what is to come, that’s all part of growing up. But he does not need to be afraid to the point he has panic attacks thinking about the future.”

“Hah!”, Roman said, smirking triumphantly.

“He also needs to learn that he can’t always do whatever he wants”, Logan said, turning his glare back to Roman, who shivered lightly and grimaced. “You two need to get along or you will tear Thomas apart.”

“Sorry, Logan”, Roman apologised, rubbing the back of his head and ruffling his hair softly. 

“That’s alright, I accept your apology”, Logan said, turning away from the two and picking up the book Atlas had been reading. He closed it, dusted off the cover and held it out to Atlas, who snatched it away from Logan and stormed off to the other side of the room. 

“At least apologise”, Roman muttered, crossing is arms over his chest and glaring at Atlas’ back. Atlas stopped and stood completely still.

“I’m sorry, Logan. For everything”, Atlas said softly and Logan gave a small nod, smile leaving his face as he patted Roman’s shoulder and turned back to his scattered papers. 

 

Logan was the first of himself and Roman to notice it. The change, the distancing, the anger. Atlas seemed to grow more annoyed and grumpy each day. They were nearing their eleventh birthday and Atlas seemed more skittish and cold each day. Logan was worried, but he blamed it on the fact they were growing up. Thomas seemed to be getting more homework and Roman had been a large impact on them not finishing it in time. As much as Logan loved the younger facet, Roman was proving rather detrimental to their future. 

But Thomas needed him and that meant he was staying, like Logan and Atlas. He’d never leave and that kept Logan in a happier mood than he might have come to know as normal for himself without Roman. But a question kept coming to his mind, annoying him in the early hours of the morning and late hours of the night. What would happen when Thomas no longer needed them? He hoped he would never find out.

 

It wasn’t until after their twelfth birthday that it happened. Atlas collapsed one day and began to fade. He had already seemed a tad transparent, but Logan was convinced he was seeing things. Now he knew the answer to his question. Thomas didn’t need Atlas anymore. He was twelve. He didn’t get nightmares or fear the dark anymore. Atlas wasn’t needed, no longer part of Thomas personality. So, he was fading away, literally and figuratively. Logan had the displeasure of being in the same room, not too far from Atlas as he had vanished into thin air. His body shuddering, shaking and then pulling apart, like sand from a rock. It was beautifully haunting and kept Logan up for many nights wondering if he or Roman would be the next to fade. The next to break apart and become like dust, scattered to the wind. 

 

For a while it was just himself and Roman. They barely spoke due to their very different perspectives on life. They would be polite in conversation, but couldn’t seem to speak more than four words to each other every day. When Thomas turned thirteen there was a quiver. It tore the mind palace apart and in its wake two new facets emerged. Anxiety and Morality, Patton for short. It was like having Atlas again, except he was split into two different facets. Logan never got used to the idea and remained cold and impassive. He focused on other things, trying to rid himself of the memories that came up every time he saw Anxiety and Patton. It was torture, until he gave in on Thomas’ eighteenth birthday and tried to forget Atlas. He managed for a while, focusing on the other facets, but the memories of the fading haunted him in his dream each night. He didn’t know if he could survive another one after Atlas’ fading.


End file.
